SCALING MOUNT TASMAN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3667, 16 April 1883, Page 4

SCALING MOUNT TASMAN.

(From the Lvtlelton Times.) From the time of leaving the Maltc Brun camp till their return, the travellers never s-.iAV a piece of stone. They Avero buried deep iv the home of enduring everlasting snow and ice, some of which the doctor describes as bearing the appearance of havii _ existed since the Creation, and to hundreds of feet thick. Tho Iloohstctter Dome appears to him to bo the highest point of a ridge dividing the Tasman glacier from that the head of the long AVaturoa Valley. All the maps at present published are naturally more or less imperfect and inaccurate. The extreme summit rises about l-"> 00 feet above the saddle on cither side, and is extremely difficult of access. Ou the route taken by our travellers progress AA-as at one spot barred "by a precipitous Avail of ice, and, Avhen this defence was turned, a long gaping fissure confronted them, Avhieh at first appeared to encircle the entire peak. HoAvever, after tough climbing-, hope dawned once more, as a practicable way Avas discovered again. Just Avhen victory seemed secure, and the way up to the summit short to Avin, another crevasse running at right angles to the first avus met—a black abyss that seemed to cleave the mountain vertically in twain, going doAvn and iloavii through ice 1000 feet thick. One more defeat so tantalising Avas enough to break their hearts, but a cast round to the north side revealed a perilous path to the Avishcd-for spot. By means of steps cut in the overhanging wall of ice (alreudy spoken of as having barred their Avay, aud AA-hich they were uoav above, and so near to the edge that flic green light actually shone through some of 1 hem} the dome was reached after'"tAVelve and a-half hours of fearful climbing. Mount Hoehstetter was conquer.- ;1, and as the daring three sat aside of his sharp ridge they suav a sight In. like ol AAiiich has never perhaps been vouchsafed to mortal man ou these idands. For the sun set as they sat up there betAveen he*. :i and earth looking on the eastern and avcsteru expanse of illimitable sea; aud Avhen tho orb of day slipped down behind the Avesteru horizon the immense expanse of ocean for a short, space shone like a mirror of molleii gold. Such Avas the grand panorama upon AA-hich they feasted their OVL . S __']~ suow-shrouded country they had si) hardly conquered, untrodden by auy save themselves. The scone must have u-iven birth to some curious and exultant thoughts. It Avas short-lived, but gave placi. to one full of more AA'Onderful color and strangeness, for in a moment after almost every savage peak and rugged, snowA- mountain chain Avas steeped m softest purple hues. Such a fairy -warning to begin tho descent AA-as not disregarded, and in the fading light, at ti p.m., they passed doAvn again to the shoulder of the mountain. Their enemy, the vertical crevasse—its blistering, splintery crags and trellis-Avork of glassy ice— Avas uoav lit up by the red light of the setting sun behind it, forming a scene of indescribable and haunting beauty. Tic Iv-aa'ci* Avail and the shoulder of the mountain Avero reached in tho nick of time during the last moments of the t-Avilight. A bench Avas hoAvn out in the ice, and there the little band halved for refreshment and a smoke, UAvaiting the rising of the moon. Luckily, Madame Luna Avas at her full, and they had not long to Avait, reaching the_ flatpart of the glacier mice more at midnight, Avithout mishap. Here, at the loAvcr level, the moon's rays did not penetrate so aa.l : shadoAvs Averc deep, and a "bad time" Avas passed among the entangling ercA'asses I ill the sun rose. More than forty Avails of ice had to he climed. and the fatigue was immense, for the party had been on foot almost without, stop or stay for nearly four and tAveuty hours. At length the duAvn came, and sunrise ended their troubles. As the ''orbed maiden Avith pale fire laden " sank down behind the jagged ridge of Mount Cook, silvering Avith soft light the Avcsieru edges of the gaps, the sun rose red and strong, and lighted up its eastern face--another scene oi extraordinary beauty, of which the parly carry away the keenest recollections. On the _(»th, at 8 a.m., camp Avas reached once more, after tAventy-seven hours of continuous motion, broken only byone hour and three-quarters' rest, for of course, silting during the latter part of the glacier Avorl: Avould have meant being frozen stiff and stark. Ou the 27th camp was broken up, and the reserve camp avus reached once more.

Dr. Yon Lenderi'eld esitmates the height of Mount Hochstctter at about 11 ,_IH_, but as his calculations are not yet quite Avorkcd out, must be taken as only approximate. This estimate, if correct, would make the dome the fourth highest point in the Colony. The success of the expedition is duo to the perfect preparation, and to a certain fore-knoAvledge of the couutry obtaiued through the good offices of Dr. Yon Haast.